Russia will participate in the Venice Biennale for the first time since 2022

The organizers of the Venice Biennale — one of the worldʼs most famous international contemporary art exhibitions — reported on March 4 the list of countries that will open pavilions at this yearʼs exhibition in Venice. Among them is Russia, which has not participated since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian pavilion was called “The Tree is Rooted in the Sky”. Earlier, Mikhail Shvydkoy, the Russian delegate for international cultural exchanges and former Minister of Culture, told ArtNews that one of the pavilionʼs messages was that "politics exists in temporal dimensions, while cultures communicate in eternity".

“I want to note that Russia has never left the Venice Biennale. The very presence of our pavilion — regardless of what is happening there, whether it is exhibitions by our Latin American friends or the placement of an educational center for the entire Biennale — means the presence of our country in the cultural space of Venice. Therefore, since we have not gone anywhere, we are not returning. We are simply looking for new forms of creative activity in the current circumstances,” Shvydkoy said.

He added that his countryʼs participation in this yearʼs forum is "further proof that Russian culture is not isolated", and "attempts to abolish it over the past four years have not been successful".

This year, at the Venice Biennale, which will take place from May 9 to November 22, national pavilions will represent 99 countries. In particular, Ukraine, which has been participating since 2001, will be represented. The organizers emphasized that the Biennale is an open platform, and "national participations arise from the initiatives of the states themselves".

Any country recognized by Italy can apply to participate. The event organizers added that they reject any form of discrimination or censorship.

• The Venice Biennale is one of the leading exhibitions of contemporary art, held every two odd years in Venice, Italy. The Biennale includes thematic exhibitions of contemporary art and national pavilions.
• Russia was a regular participant in the Venice Biennale, but its exhibition was canceled in 2022. This happened on February 27, a few days after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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